Golf practice putting devices are known, and numerous patents disclosing a plethora of devices are well classified in the Patent and Trademark Office in Search Class 273. In addition, there are numerous devices on the market which simulate a golf putting green such as commercially available carpets sold by Habitat International, Inc.. Such carpets usually comprise a top surface simulative of closely cropped grass, sometimes described as indoor/outdoor carpet, mounted on a resilient backing. Such carpet includes one end that is raised as a result of a wedge-shaped piece of sponge rubber providing a thickness at that end of the carpet of over an inch and a half. In this thickened end, an orifice is provided which extends completely through the carpet and resilient backing. One disadvantage of such carpet is that if the golfer has set up the practice putting carpet in an office and misses the hole, the ball can roll off the thickened end, and possibly be lost or cause other problems.
Although the prior art discloses devices for retaining a golf ball on a putting surface, or disclose golf targets in which the golf ball is retained should the target be contacted, there is no known prior art that discloses a device that is attachable to a putting carpet and which will prevent a ball from both falling over the carpet edge and rebounding back onto the playing green.
One golf putting device that utilizes a restraining means that is not merely a backstop is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,130 of Simjian. However this device is quite large and bulky, and presumably expensive, and would be difficult to move between storage and use locations. Examples of golf targets that will retain a golf ball when the target has been struck are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,922 of Peel et al and the U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,202 of McNamara. While these devices may be good for their intended use, they clearly are not designed for use in doors or for attachment to an existing putting carpet.